Planned Parenthood President: “We Look At How To Expand Into Areas”

House Republicans asked Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards for more information about how much money the organization makes on abortions, sends overseas and spends on travel and salaries, following a grueling five-hour hearing Tuesday examining the nonprofit’s use of federal funding.

“That has absolutely nothing to do with young women who need a breast exam”, Chaffetz said. “It’s a political organization, and that’s something that needs to be ferreted out”.

The judge also sided with Planned Parenthood in finding “a substantial likelihood” that it would prevail on the merits of its arguments that Herbert, a Republican, had violated its constitutional rights to equal protection and freedom of association.

For her part, Richards said the political spending is necessary-especially in Texas.

Chaffetz had just finished needling Richards, who was testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, about why her salary increased by more than $100,000 between 2009 and 2013.

Republicans argued during the hearing that those other health centres across the U.S. would be able to handle the influx of patients should Planned Parenthood lose its funding.

Herbert spokeswoman Aimee Edwards reiterated that the governor stands by his actions and looks forward to responding to Planned Parenthood’s claims in court.

“No federal funds pay for abortion services“, she said in prepared remarks. And in Missouri, the state attorney general said its investigation into whether Planned Parenthood’s surgical facility engaged in illegal activity turned up empty.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, reminded his colleagues of the shady doings of David Daleiden and his Center for Medical Progress, which produced the hidden-camera videos that accuse Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal tissue.

Abortion foes say the videos show the group breaks federal laws barring for-profit fetal tissue sales and altering abortion procedures to obtain usable organs.

Members of Students for Life and a conservative student group called Anscombe said nothing could convince them to support Planned Parenthood.

She told him that when the video came out, her group hadn’t had time to evaluate how heavily it was edited and felt its tone “did not reflect the compassionate care we provide at Planned Parenthood“.

Congressional Republicans’ threatened federal government shutdown is already costing US taxpayers money and it has not even happened yet, budget experts said on Tuesday. Democrats say the plan will be undoubtedly vetoed by President Obama. Democrats, who maintain that the organization has done nothing wrong, and establishment Republicans, wary of shutting down the government should Congress arrive at an impasse, are likely to partner together to fully fund Planned Parenthood despite conservatives’ objections. The temporary bill would fund the government through December. 11 if it can pass a final vote in Congress on Wednesday. The report outlines how 45 public audits of Planned Parenthood affiliates, along with 57 audits of state family planning programs, found waste, fraud, and abuse to the tune of $129.7 million. Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid fraud contributed to the total amount of all improperly billed federal Medicaid payments in the nation, which equaled $14.4 billion in 2013 alone.